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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · stick · cabinet · wake · craft · face · tube · bulb

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tube — a container
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wake — a trail
  18. craft — boats
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. face — to confront
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com